some reason, today was different. It was after five. Wonder where Dana had gotten to? Hopefully she wasn’t lost or anything.
He frowned. Dana wasn’t helpless. In fact, two days ago, she’d threatened to shoot him. It was highly unlikely she’d come to any harm on a nice day downtown, surrounded by people. And yet here he was, worrying about her. Maybe Chris was right—Sam hadn’t been out with a woman for too long. He needed to get a grip.
He was pulling the warm clothes from the dryer when he heard the garage door opening. He carried the basket upstairs, reaching the living room just as Dana bounced into the kitchen. Her bright smile assured him his worries were groundless.
“Hi. How was your meeting?” She reached into the basket and started folding a towel as if folding clothes together was something they did every day.
“Fine. How was your day?” He pulled a pair of jeans from the basket.
“Great. You were right. I loved the coastal trail and the hot dog was excellent.” She set down the towel and reached for what had once been a white T-shirt but was now faintly gray. “You really shouldn’t wash darks and lights together.”
Sam shrugged. “Probably not, but I just want to get it done. I hate laundry.”
“Really?” She smoothed the T and folded it into a neat square. “I like folding laundry.” She held up the shirt and sniffed. “I may be mildly addicted to the smell of dryer sheets.”
Sam couldn’t help a little smile. Dana chattered on about the wildlife and scenery she’d seen during her hike as they worked, and before he knew it, the entire load lay neatly stacked in the basket. He had to admit, folding laundry wasn’t nearly as boring with good company.
“Thanks. So, how about dinner at Moose’s Tooth?”
“Moose’s Tooth? What’s that?”
“A mountain.” He grinned. “More importantly, a pizza brewpub named after the mountain.”
“Sounds great.”
* * *
AS USUAL, MOOSE’S TOOTH had a long line of folks waiting for a table, so he and Dana sat at the bar temporarily. The waiter gave Sam a calculating look before he delivered their drink orders. Dana took a sip of her raspberry wheat microbrew. “Nice.” She set the glass down and leaned forward. “So, tell me what you do in Siberia.”
“I supervise a drilling program.”
“Okay, but what does that mean?”
Sam tried to explain the job as briefly as possible, but she kept asking questions and he found himself telling her more details about his work than he’d ever told anyone. When a table finally opened up for them, he realized he’d been doing all the talking.
“Sorry. I usually don’t monopolize the conversation like this. I’m sure I’m boring you.”
“No, you’re not. I had no idea how much engineering went into drilling oil wells. What happens after the well test?”
“If it’s good, we put the well on production. If not, we try to figure out why and fix it. But that’s enough about my work. Tell me what you do.”
“I worked in the office for my dad’s business, an equipment and tool rental company.”
“Worked?”
She shrugged. “I don’t work there anymore. I have my degree in math, as a teacher. I really loved being in the classroom during my student teaching, but Dad wanted me in the business, so I did that instead. It was okay, but I plan to teach now.”
So, her father insisted on choosing her career. Controlling. Maybe that’s what drove Chris away. The waiter came to take their order. “Another beer?”
Dana shook her head. “I’m still on this one.”
“I’ll have a root beer.” Once the waiter left, Sam turned back to Dana. “So, do you have a teaching job lined up?”
She gave a little head shake. “I’ll need to take some courses to get recertified. But tell me more about Alaska. Did you grow up in Anchorage?”
Sam nodded. “I was born in Fairbanks, but we moved here when I was in elementary school.”
“What is Fairbanks like?”
“Smaller than Anchorage. Inland, on the Chena River, so warmer in summer, much colder in the winter. I went to the University of Alaska there.”
“Is it as green as Anchorage?”
“It’s nice, at least when the temperature’s above zero. Lots of cottonwoods growing along the river. It looks like a summer snow there sometimes when the trees are shedding.”
“We have cottonwoods in Kansas, too, but it’s not this green and rugged. You’re so lucky to be a Native Alaskan.”
“I am, although, it comes with its own set of challenges. Sometimes people make assumptions.”
“Challenges.” She looked puzzled, but then her eyes widened. “Oh, because you’re Native American... I only meant you were born in Alaska.”
“Oh.” Sam looked down at the table. “Sorry.”
“No, don’t be. So you’re an Alaska Native?”
“One-quarter Inupiat.” At her blank expression, he grinned. “Eskimo.”
“Eskimo, really?” A slow smile spread across her face. “I think that’s pretty cool. Do you have a lot of special traditions or food or anything?”
He shook his head. “Not me, personally. It was on my dad’s side and I never knew him. My mom wasn’t Native, so I don’t know much about it.”
The waiter returned with his root beer. He noticed Dana looking at it thoughtfully. Fine. She might as well know up front he limited himself to one alcoholic drink a day. Living with his mother’s alcoholism had prompted him to set strict boundaries for himself.
“I get that about people’s assumptions.” Dana sighed. “Some of the people I worked with assumed the boss’s daughter was just doing some make-work job and didn’t know anything about the business. When Dad got sick, I noticed the manager wasn’t keeping the parts inventory up-to-date, but he wouldn’t listen to me. I had to have Dad call him to get him moving.”
“That must have been frustrating. At least in my job I have the authority to get things done.” Sam took a swig of his root beer. How did the conversation get so personal? He never whined like this. Time to lighten up.
He smiled at Dana. “So, I’ve never been to Kansas. What’s it like there?”
She told him about the town where she lived, mostly funny stories about her and Chris growing up together. It sounded like a television-worthy childhood, growing up in an old Victorian home with a big lawn.
“It was about ninety-five that day, and Chris decided he didn’t want to mow the grass. He tied a rope
